Goosebumps [2015] ★★½

I grew up reading the Goosebumps stories. But I knew from the very first moment that a big screen adaptation could ruin all the fun. Which is why I have to credit director Rob Letterman for knowing what the hell he is doing. At a time when kids are only interested in dystopian love stories, Letterman goes to the monsters from the Goosebumps era. What’s up with that? Plenty, as it turns out. Working from a script by Darren Lemke, Letterman stuffs over 20 monsters into this roller coaster ride. It’s a cool concept, done by having the author himself, R.L Stine (played by Jack Black), live with his daughter Hannah in a Madison, Delaware neighborhood. The action kicks in when the new boy next door, Zach, opens one of Stine’s books. Monsters suddenly pop out and well… all hell breaks loose. Jack Black excels, and he’s the reason the movie works as much as it does. The overall result is still not in the same league as the books (at least in my eyes), but Letterman and his talented crew milk monsters and comedy for maximum fun. Now who’s up for a sequel?